Hance and apparently all succeeding authors placed this species in Hypericum sect. Drosocarpium Spach o n the basis of its vesicular-gland-dotted capsule valves, despite its wide morphological and geographic differences from all species in that mainly SE European section. Disregarding its specialization, H. sampsonii and the closely related H. assamicum S. N. Biswas from NE India are morphologically a development from H. przewalskii. ..... The combination of perfoliate leaf pairs and vesicular-glandular capsule valves is confined to H. sect. Sampsonia.